BAD MONKEY Review: Under Balmy Skies, Sly Comedy and Murderous Crimes

Clever, relaxed, and very, very funny, the show feels like a lovely summer vacation, a sunny holiday retreat, a blissful retreat in paradise. Except with murder.

Bad Monkey
The first two episodes premiere globally Wednesday, August 14, exclusively on Apple TV+. New episodes will premiere every Wednesday through October 9. I've seen all ten episodes.

Strangers who talk all the time can be annoying. Friends, lovers, and relatives who talk all the time can be beloved and enjoyable.

Cheerful and gregarious to a fault, Andrew Yancy is a charming role that Vince Vaughn was born to play. Developed by Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Shrinking) from the popular novel by Carl Hiaasen, first published in 2013, Bad Monkey begins with the series' narrator (Tom Nowicki), who is also a grizzled sea boat captain, explaining how his day-trip group found a severed (human) arm in the ocean off Key West in the Florida Keys.

Andrew Yancy (Vince Vaughn) enters the scene as he relaxes on the beach in front of his modest seaside home, admiring the peaceful wildlife and casting disapproving glances at the yellow monstrosity of a house that sits next door. Andrew is soon joined by Rogelio (John Ortiz), his partner with the local police force. Suspended from the force due to a regrettable incident -- detailed later -- Andrew is eager to resume active duty, and so he relucatantly agrees to a small task proffered by Rogelio: 'take care' of the severed arm, currently in an ice chest cooler, by driving to Miami and convincing the coroner to accept it as evidence.

Even though the plan doesn't work, Andrew sparks with the coroner, Rosa (Nathalie Martinez), who eventually teams up with him to investigate what happened to the former owner of the arm, identified as Christopher (Rob Delaney); whether his widow Eve (Meredith Hagner) could possibly be involved; and how the case connects to seemingly unrelated real-estate dealings in the nearby Bahamas.

The first episode splits off to follow Neville (Ronald Peet), who loves living on the island in his little ramshackle house with the titular creature, doing nothing much besides fishing and eating and drinking and sleeping. His peaceful existence soon is wrecked by the aforementioned shady real-estate dealing, prompting him to turn to Dragon Lady (Jodie Turner-Smith), who holds sway locally as a powerful magical force, supported by her grandmother YaYa (L. Scott Caldwell).

Already that's a lot of characters to track, and I haven't even mentioned Andrew's soon-to-be-ex girlfriend Bonnie (Michele Monaghan), next door neighbor Evan (Andrew Moffat), Christopher's grieving daughter Caitlin (Charlotte Lawrence), menacing Bahamian enforcer Egg (David St. Louis) and more. Casting is credited to Jennifer Cooper and Lori Wyman, and they did a superb job in assembling a talented cast who bring their sharply-written characters to vivid life.

It all starts with the source material. Bringing his years of experience as a journalist and columnist to his novels, Carl Hiaasen's keen eye for observing details in people, places, and things, coupled with his ready sense of humor, always makes his writing a pleasure to read. As it happens, I haven't read Bad Monkey (yet), but the series adaptation appears to capture his spirit of adventure and his rueful sense of humor, along with his environmental consciousness and sensibility about social issues.

Bill Lawrence wrote the first episode and served as showrunner. His fellow writers -- eight in all -- follow the pattern he set for the series, which is relaxed and funny and insightful and altogether easy to watch. Different from many other shows, which introduce a narrator only to introduce and conclude episodes -- and perhaps cover over plot holes -- the Narrator here (Tom Nowicki) is a pleasant and welcome companion at key points in every episode. Director Marcos Siega and four fellow helmers bring a light, sure-handed quality to every episode.

The series' focus remains on the characters. For the most part, they are a likable slew of people who are all trying to do their best. Even the less likable people, though, have redeeming qualities that are skillfully portrayed.

After watching the first episode, I wondered why several high-profile actors appeared in small roles. After watching all ten episodes, I appreciated what they brought to their characters, who develop throughout the series, which is a relatively rare thing in limited series nowadays.

As a whole, Bad Monkey is a must-watch series because of its flavorful and distinctive tang, a mix of elements that together coalesce into something special, especially for those of us who love to listen to friends, lovers, and relatives who talk all the time.